This is just plain fantasy. Perhaps a neat prop for a sci-fi movie, but nothing more.

Nov 18th, 2009

some young guy

If someone stops too far forward and looks out the window they are gonna get an eye full of laser….

Nov 19th, 2009

Final

If someone is drink driving and sees this he will probably turn the car to avoid the laser and he might hit a pedestrian.

Nov 19th, 2009

Drew

Lasers aren’t visible like that in air — unless the crosswalks are spewing smoke or steam to facilitate scattering. This thing will only destroy any visibility drivers once had, making an even bigger hazard for pedestrians.

The sheer cost of it would be enough to prevent it being put into place! I can’t imagaine any city (well except maybe Dubai) being able to afford it - or it passing the beaurocracy.
It seems to me that most council’s/local govenments like to stick to what they know and are reluctant to try new things.

We look for this several years ago, but could not find the technology. We put the in pavement lights http://www.spotdevices.com at the stop bar. It has helped cut down on red light running and 40% reduction in right turn on red violations.

I imagine, how expensive this invention is and how exactly it should be set up…and how expensive will be the maintenance…:) I don’t think, that in nearest future these will be set up at all…but concept is awesome :)

Nov 19th, 2009

Kirvi Inci

I like the idea, however improbable it might be. However, I think that it will not stop people from running the lights. Afterall if all it is, is a laser, people will still disregard it.

Nov 19th, 2009

Sam

COOL! …..but no. it would be easier to just make a car that stops automatically or make a good train system

I do believe is kind of innovative, but it´s too much, maybe something smaller would do, you don´t need to actually put a wall to stop cars. Seems very expensive.

Nov 19th, 2009

Chris

Like it was said before red lasers are not visible in air, green are but you would not be able to make pictures of people on the wall like in the pic.(A giant green wall might confuse people.)

Nov 19th, 2009

2more

What a pointless idea. Way too expensive and especially in these days where its all about energy effincy, this is quite dumb idea. how much more power do a bunch of lasers use compared to regular traffic lights? Dont know the number, would guess at least twice as much. Now count all the traffic lights in ur city and u know what that means. Whats the point anyways?

Nov 19th, 2009

Rambo

THESE PHOTOS ARE OBVIOUSLY PHOTO SHOPPED!!!
the lasers are totally not real!

Nov 19th, 2009

Sam

Makes me think of the Abbey Road album art! haha.

And to Rambo: Of course they’re photoshopped. That’s why it’s a CONCEPT.

Nov 19th, 2009

Ryan

@Pyramus: You cannot turn right on red in Manhattan!! It’s always an annoyance when I’m driving in the city. Actually it’s NYC-side, not just Manhattan.

Clearly, this is a design idea, but lasers can be cheap (think: CD players). These would make the most sense in built-up urban areas, obviously.

If I’m not mistaken, the Swedes do something similar to this in several aspects, but between opposing lanes of traffic. I believe they put up a more durable, permanent version of cling film from below to above eye level (haven’t seen pic). Apparently just this visual trick (you can still see across the lanes, but can also see an object you need to avoid) radically reduces accidents. I don’t recall the exact numbers, but they were exceedingly impressive.

You can’t turn right on red in Manhattan. Out of state drivers (or even out of city) have almost killed me on more than one occasion. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a good idea — but to all the naysayers - every day people get in little tin cans and fly — I’m pretty sure this could be figured out. What I would like to see is a redirecting of all those places where steam pours out of the street — then this would be a piece of cake (I’m not saying redirecting would be — but this would give the particles in the air that would help lasers by seen).

I like making pedestrians safer…I just think it’s ugly.

Nov 19th, 2009

MKQ

Oh…and if something new like this were to happen at stop lights — my hope is that they would be solar powered perhaps. That would also help if there were electrical grid failure.

Nov 19th, 2009

Mark

This will never work. The one post IN THE ROAD won’t last a day in any major city. Not a chance.

Nov 19th, 2009

andrei

funky. expensive. in extreme situations you won’t see the pedestrians you need to avoid

Nov 19th, 2009

Scott

This is a dumb idea. The more technological aids we have for drivers, the less drivers will pay attention. We need less traffic controls, not more. this has been proven in experiments where all traffic control devices (signs, lights, road markers) are removed, accidents actually decrease because drivers are more careful.

i’m sure they’ll be only in certain places, and its not like its a working laser or something. It wont burn holes in your car if you drive through it, so yes, its ok to drive through it!

Nov 20th, 2009

Mickey Mouse

Patrick Wells, I think you mean smoke or steam is required to difuse the beam not refract it.
Any way it’s a dangerous idea, if sombody walks or drives throught it then they’ll get thier eyes burnt out. Hanyoung Lee will get taken to court.

Nov 20th, 2009

Critical Eye

I’m surprised at how many people are missing the obvious flaw… light does not work as depicted in this comp! This concept CANNOT work! Heck, the PhotoShop work isn’t even any good!

Cool, but I think a lot of people are too stupid and would try looking directly at the laser and go blind! Or a car would go a little too far and the laser would get reflected everywhere, and once again people would go blind!

Nov 20th, 2009

Nitheen

um, how come nobody has said anything about there being LASERS strong enough to cross two-four car lanes just pointing between two 8 foot tall bars? what about the hazard of some fool looking into the laser with his bifocals, or the automobile driver who drives through the thing and is temporarily disoriented….

Nov 21st, 2009

ShotgunEmmet

Lasers are focused beams of light, always projected at the same rotation, flat against their target. Air is neither refractive or varied enough to display that light in all directions, so without the addition of some kind of gas i don’t believe the above picture is currently plausible.
Also lasers can be made to be any colour, pulsating red would probably suit this one tho

Well john, if I remember right, the rules say: People are worth 10 points each, people in wheelchairs 5 points, old people with walkers are only 1 point (they’re easy to hit), Skateboarders, rollerbladers, and bikers are all worth 15 points, but drunks are worth 50 points, because they way they stumble all around the crosswalk makes them the most difficult to hit.(a car doesn’t have the same turning radius they do.)
Up to four drivers can play at any one time at each intersection. So the guy squeezing betwenn your car and the curb isn’t going to score anything.
Also, it’s forbidden to hit someone, then back up and try again for the next pedestrian.
Finally, the winners score is also put up on the red way scoreboard for all to see. :o)

What about all the people behind the wheel that are stoned? They will just sit there admiring the cool light show and there’d be traffic tie-ups for hours!
p.s. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and people really do drive stoned.

Nov 21st, 2009

Mike

It would be just like the fake owls that they stick up to scare pigeons away, they would work for a while, look cool - but after a while people would just ignore them and make a game out of it

The cheapest way is to have fines that are so incredibly high, it makes them think about stopping and/or a hydraulic 1-2ft fence that comes out of the ground on a red light

I am sure this innovative technology would save thousands of people lives who die from accidents on traffic lights. Thanks for sharing the information.

Dec 19th, 2009

tim

I’m fed up with all the product ‘concepts’ being added to SU. None of them are ever going to happen because they haven’t been properly designed. They are just some guy’s idea with an artists impression. They haven’t done any work to find out if it’s even physically possible to ever build it.